Welcome back to Hoops & Hoots! As I rebuild and relaunch this blog, I’ve been digging through the archives — and I realized I couldn’t just jump in without sharing where it all began. This post, Go Big or Go Home, was my first brave (and maybe a little reckless) step into the quilting blog world. It’s part enthusiasm, part confession, and all heart outlining my first launch of the “52 Quilts in 52 Weeks” Challenge.
Before I repost it, I’ve added a little “Today’s Note” so you’ll know what’s changed (spoiler: poodles and babies!). Think of this as me opening the time capsule of my quilting life and inviting you to peek inside.
Today’s Note (Two Years Later!):
Before I dive back in, I wanted to share where it all really began. Go Big or Go Home was my very first kickoff post for the “52 Quilts in 52 Weeks” adventure – aka “52 Quilts Challenge”. At the time, I was bright-eyed, fueled by coffee, and apparently thought a year had far more hours in it than it really does.
Fast forward nearly two years, and a lot has changed. I now have two poodles instead of one, my sweet friend (the one I mentioned in this post) now has two babies instead of one, and I’ve racked up even more UFOs (unfinished objects) than I had back then. Some things never change, right? Will I ever tame my unfinished quilt projects (UFOs)???
I’m reposting this “day one” entry as part of relaunching Hoops & Hoots — both to keep the story intact and because, honestly, it still makes me laugh at myself. Think of it as a time capsule of my quilting optimism.
So here it is: the post that started it all… the Hoops & Hoots quilting journey blog with equal parts excitement and nerves about a very LOFTY GOAL – the “52 Quilts Challenge”
Also, new merch in the store this week! Check it out (sneak peek below)!
Go Big or Go Home: The 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks Challenge
Well, technically, they may be neither big nor meant for home but I do have a very big plan. 52 weeks. 52 weeks in a year, a dream of building up this online community, and all the ideas in the world but not a specific plan in sight. Until, perhaps, now!
So I’ve been working on a baby quilt for a sweet friend of mine. When she told me she was pregnant, I had her pick out the fabric line, pick out the pattern, and tell me when the baby was due.
Well that sweet baby isn’t… well… still a baby! Thankfully I planned a toddler sized quilt – do I know myself or do I know myself?! IF I finish it soon, it will still beat the pants off the amount of time it took me to finish my daughter’s quilt that I started when I was pregnant with her. She may or may not have received it for her 10th birthday!
I finished the top for my daughter’s quilt the week (actually maybe even the day) before I went in for my scheduled c-section. The colors matched her nursery with organic creams, greens, and browns. Lovely, absolutely lovely. And a simpler pattern and size too, one that I would definitely finish before her first birthday since all I had to do was quilt and bind it.
Fast Forward…
Fast forward YEARS. I finished many (by my definition) other projects in the meantime and occasionally pulled that sweet top out to caress it and look forward to finishing it. As the years continued, my daughter began to have her own tastes in colors and of course they weren’t the colors of the quilt top I had already made for her. So then I had a dilemma – do I scrap the one that meant the world to me to make for her or do I give her a quilt she may not like as much?
I decided – neither.
I swirled (wayyyyyyyy too long) on a compromise and landed on making it a double-sided quilt! One side was the top I lovingly made when I was about to burst and the other side with colors she was more interested in later on. I know what you may be thinking – duh, what an obvious solution – but it wasn’t obvious to me and I let that little hiccup keep me from finishing that quilt for too long.
Confessions of a Serial Quilt Starter
An old friend of mine and I used to compare notes – she finished MANY more quilts than I did. I think I was (and still am) infinitely more fussy than her about my projects. So as you can guess, my projects take awhile and she in the meantime has snuggled or given away gobs of her productions each year.
I don’t have UFOs (unfinished objects), I have entire solar systems of quilt projects in various stages of planning and execution! But it’s a cosmic journey I’m thrilled to be on!!
Now I’m big into self-grace, not taking myself too seriously, and self-care, so I don’t let these things weigh on me. But I do have more than enough inventory of products and projects to start this Hoops & Hoots adventure. How to start this off right?
How to make this adventure one worth following? Go big or go home!
A Quilting Challenge
I will be starting a “52 Quilts in 52 Weeks” (aka “52 Quilts Challenge) adventure and want you to come along for the ride! Of course, I’m not asking you to make 52 quilts with me!! Nor am I promising 52 quilts start to finish in each week. Seriously, I do still have that full-time job and family and house and poodle….
Honestly, I have soooooo many projects that just need this or that to finish it off or spruce it up for actual use/display. Many of the projects will be ones that I just need to finish that have set in some stage of completion for way too long. Or, some of the weeks will be dedicated to looking back on the projects I’ve finished – to re-imagine them or offer my early quilting self some advice. Where possible I’ll post the names of patterns and sources if I have them still available!
Follow Along
Now, if you want to join the fun you can follow along and share what you’re working on and the story behind the quilt, please comment here, post pics with #52QuiltsChallenge.
That’s what I’m imagining for this adventure. To not only finish UFO’s and other projects I’ve had on my “do one day” list, but to share the stories behind the quilts.
I love listening to stories and I love learning how people enjoy their crafts and adventures. I wonder if you might enjoy the same.
So wish me luck! I’ll spend a few days mapping out my first few projects (very likely to be the UFOs I have, especially Piper’s baby quilt) and hatching a gameplan. Follow along with me and let’s hear about your UFO or other quilt stories!
52 Quilts Challenge Confessional
So that’s where it all began—one overly ambitious quilter, a stack of UFOs the size of a small solar system, and a dream of turning chaos into community.
Now, two years later, with two poodles instead of one (and yes, my friend has added to her family also!), I’m circling back to share these posts and projects with fresh eyes. Whether you’ve been quilting for decades or just picked up your first fat quarter, I’d love for you to join me in this adventure of stitches, stories, and maybe a few seam-ripper confessions.
Your turn: How many WIPs (works-in-progress) are lurking in your sewing space right now? Be honest—I promise this is a judgment-free zone! Share in the comments so we can all feel a little less alone in our piles.
